Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, in proposing Internet.org, continues carving out role in public issues

An ambitious effort to bring the Internet to billions of poor people is only the latest move by Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg to carve out a high-profile role as a tech CEO who can wield influence over public issues. And while he's not the only one of his peers promoting the power of technology to change the world, the scale and ambition of Zuckerberg's industry alliance to promote global Internet access makes the 29-year-old CEO one of the most prominent advocates for Silicon Valley's unique blend of business and altruism.

Some critics scoffed at what they viewed as self-interest wrapped in noble-sounding rhetoric that accompanied the announcement from Zuckerberg and his new Internet.org coalition. And it's not the first time his efforts have run into that criticism. Helping new populations get online is clearly in Facebook's interest, said futurist and longtime Silicon Valley observer Paul Saffo. But he said it also represents a trend in which, unlike the days when business moguls waited until they retired to become philanthropists, "now we expect our entrepreneurs to be charitable activists."